Bah humbug mood....

**happimommi** · 11-29-2008, 12:11 AM

First of all....I love Christmas, the decorations, the music, the food and trying to find just the right gift for those I love. But tonight I am feeling Bah Humbug about the direction Christmas is taking. Stores are decorating before Halloween now and running Christmas sales before Thanksgiving. And to hear that a store employee was killed by a stampeed of shoppers as they broke down the door to get into a Walmart this morning, it all makes me sick. Are we as a society so desperate for more stuff that we are willing to do anything it takes to get it? Does a good deal trump a human life?

**KandD2007** · 11-29-2008, 01:30 AM

I agree with you. That story just made me sad- it seems like sometimes the holidays bring out the worst in people!

**Palooka** · 11-29-2008, 01:43 AM

I understand what you mean. I was hanging Christmas ornaments out(and I mean hundreds by the truck load) in July at my Husbands job. We had to have them all done by August and the tree's out and fluffed. Gah!

My ex husband called me today to talk about Christmas. He is pretty well off but his job took a big hit with the stock market(he is self employeed) they just bought a new house, his new wife is not getting her child support as they were used too and he told his family he can't afford many gifts this year.

I was happy and I don't mean that in a bad way for them but a good way. He could always out buy our son gifts and I felt bad because I coudn't afford 50 thousand video games for him and a new game station every other week.

I said welcome to our world and it is okay. I mean the dude is super giving and even buys my husbands gifts! Well we all get along good. I just told him I understand and we have to cut back a lot this year too. He already talked to my son about it. I talked to my son on the phone yesterday and asked him what he wanted for Christmas. "He said, not much mommy." Whatever you and daddy can afford is fine with me."

Maybe with the economy not doing so well it can be a learning lesson for adults and kids. Well, I would think so anyway.

Christmas is so overrated anyway. I always think about the little House on the Praire Christmas episodes. heh.

Normally I would have my house all decorated today but I just feel like a scroodge for some reason and I am not normally like this. Maybe I will snap out of it on Sunday when I put the tree up.

Done with my ramblin.

**MoonMommy** · 11-29-2008, 08:48 AM

I feel that as a whole society spends way too much money on STUFF. We buy 10 shirts when 1 would do just because we can get them real cheap. We fail to think beyond ourselves to the greater good. We don't think about all those people in other countries who have to sew those shirts for pennies a day so that we can buy them for $5 and all the companies in between can make tons of money. We forget that in order for us to buy so inexpensively, all that stuff from China, our own factories have closed and people in our our country are without jobs.

I also love love love Christmas (and I am atheist). I love the spirit of Santa and the idea that we help people. I try to live with the spirit of Santa all year round. It is hard when you have children to avoid buying and buying and buying, however I have found that at least with my kids, it is better to get them one or two things that they REALLY want than 50 things. They only ever play with those one or two gifts anyways right?

**MoonMommy** · 11-29-2008, 09:38 AM

Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

From
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/...D.kY8OUPZa24cA

How sad that people were mad that the store was closing due to the person dying. Kind of tells you what some people think is the true meaning of Christmas.

Do you remember when there was a similar craze about Cabbage Patch Dolls in the 80s? It seems like every year there are people willing to do ANYTHING to buy stuff no matter what.

**McD** · 11-29-2008, 10:13 AM

I get angry when I hear about stuff like that. It makes me mad. I hope they can do something to prosecute those that trampled the man to death.

But I am not letting it ruin my holidays. Instead, I am letting it serve as a reminder to me that what is important is not the presents, the stuff. What's important is that Zac, Wesley, and I will have Christmas together this year instead of Zac watching us open presents from a computer screen half a world away. What's important is my little boy hugging my neck and giving us candy canes to eat around his little Christmas tree and proclaiming, "This the is best CWISTMAS EVER".

And I am using incidents like this to remind myself to teach Wesley not to become this wrapped up in the materialism. We are going to Target to buy toys to take to Toys for Tots. We're going to color pictures to mail to the residents at my mom's nursing home that don't get Christmas cards.

**kittykatstrong** · 11-29-2008, 11:11 AM

When I heard about this story I was deeply sad. I heard too that she had lost the baby, very tragic.

**Wendy99** · 11-29-2008, 11:29 AM

The poor families of those involved. That employee was from a temp agency and was probably just trying to make some extra cash for Christmas and now they have lost him .. just tradgic !!

**djbout** · 11-29-2008, 03:44 PM

In one of the stories I read about the Walmart worker being trampled they had a quote from a gentleman who said basically:

" They should gather all the people who trampled and or ignored the dying worker and have them face the workers family and tell the family what "deals" they got that were more important than his life"

My sentiments exactly!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-29-2008, 05:14 PM

I was always sick of the materialism surrounding Christmas because we grew up with having mainly Arctic League toys and a few toys from my grandmother. We didn't have much, but what we got was awesome because it was something...no matter how much it cost. Nowadays, it's sick to look at all of the large ticket items that stores are trying to push even with 1.2 million people losing their jobs from January to October.

People have gone way beyond the true meaning of the holidays for materialism that doesn't even have any feeling behind it. It's gross. My kids are satisfied if they get to see their grandparents and spend some time with everyone. I've been trying to teach Dakota that Santa Claus needs to think of other children too and it's good to share toys, so he understands that it's more about the thought of giving and what you can give rather than how much you can spend on it.

Anyone buying a Lexus or a $900 TV for the holidays needs a swift kick where the sun don't shine. I'm just happy if my family gets through another Christmas without at least one kid going to the ER for a split-open head or falling down the stairs and bruising their face (which happened the first year Dakota started walking).

I know what it's like not to have much and I'd rather pass on the holiday spirit with memories rather than with a hefty price tag.

**Mom23boys** · 11-29-2008, 05:24 PM

I was very sad to hear this story last night. I can't believe that people are so desperate for a deal that they are willing to injure people and even kill to get into a store. How much did these people actually save? I am troubled by how some people act just to get a bargain. I love bargains, but I am not going to go to that extent to get something at a lower price. I have never pushed or shoved someone out of my way to make sure I got a better deal. I feel for this family.